Of Sparklings and Fleshlings
by Saphireanime
Summary: Because a child forming a bond with a car was not half as strange as a car forming a bond with a child. 6 year old Sam doesn't know it, but he is the most important child in the world right now and while he is hunted by giant robots it is up to one little yellow Camaro to keep him safe.
1. sign 1 - yellow Camaro called Bumblebee

"It looks like a bumblebee," were the first words out of his baby son's mouth when Ron drove his new car which he had managed to wrangle down to £4000 into the driveway. The beat up old Camaro, well it wasn't beat up but it was old was by no means an improvement of his old car, but seeming as that had been written off by his friend who was no longer such a good friend he needed something new to pass the time. It was going to be his project so he could modify and customise it and all for forty family meals out or one and a half thousand pints. Not bad a price though he did reckon that given a little more time he may have gotten the price down to £3,800, and it kept his out of the house and amused.

He smiled indulgently as he ruffled his son's dark hair and agreed even though he thought no such thing. It definitely looked to him like nothing other than an old yellow Camaro but from that point on the car had acquired a name, Bumblebee. They used the name as if Bumblebee were an old long lost family member and brought him up in conversation as one would talk about their puppy Mojo, which was also a new addition to the household. No one thought anything of it because children, people in fact, named things all the time, rivers, bridges, pets, cuddly toys and Ron knew of a few teens who gave their first cars names based on the number plate usually. It did not mean anything, except unbeknownst to him, it was the first sign.


	2. The second sign - babysitting

**The second sign, babysitting**

The second sign came in the form of a woman of fifty years who cared more about drink than anything else but had a charming smile and a lot of makeup to disguise this fact. She was a babysitter and Ron hired her last minute to watch over his darling boy while he and his wife went out on anniversary. Seeming as Sam had already eaten and was capable of playing by himself he did not care about being left alone and the woman while slightly frightening was not out to hurt him. So he sat in his room playing with his toy cars until he grew thirsty and came downstairs to ask for some warm milk as despite being six years already he could not go to sleep without a glass.

When he got downstairs he found that the woman who was meant to be watching over him was passed out in an alcohol induced haze. He knew the difference between sleep and death, he was an intuitive child, but his knowledge of such boundaries stopped at whether or not they woke up when you called to them. He had watched the television including the dreary news when his parents forgot he was old enough to understand what was going on. He called out to her, he could barely remember the name, but he surmised that any amount of noise would wake her. When that did not work he plucked up his courage and crawled onto her lap to shake her shoulder, this did not serve to wake her up.

Sam saw the drool hanging from her mouth which was wide open, but no snores elicited from her like they did from his mother and father. She was unmoving in her sleep, her eyelids did not even flicker and Sam got scared about being left alone. His mother and father were not there to comfort him and Mojo was not much comfort to him, he sensed his discomfort and twined round his ankles but it still did not ease him. So he did the only thing that made sense in a situation like this, he started to wail. People always came when he cried, maybe he would manage to wake her, but no matter how much noise he made she did not wake, it just made the carpet wet from his tears and the bottles and cans surrounding her toppled over.

Had him appearing killed her? It was a mistake, he did not mean for her to die, he just wanted to come down for some milk! His breathing escalated as panic overtook him, he did not mean it, he didn't mean it! What if his mum and dad did not want him anymore? What if they hated him now for what he did? He didn't mean it, he didn't mean it! He took couple of steps back, debating whether or not to run upstairs and hide and pretend this did not happen or whether to run into the night to see if he could find his parents, they would look after him, maybe they would even give him what he came down for.

Mojo, frightened by the noise ran and hid under the settee and still Sam continued to cry. Hot fat tears rolled down his cheeks and he was sure the neighbourhood was investigate soon and then a loud honking sound from the driveway made him quiet. His mother and father had taken a taxi to the restaurant and fully intended to drink themselves legless at a club after the meal before going to a hotel for a night to sleep it off so they were not intoxicated when they returned home to their young son. "Bumblebee," Sam muttered, as no other car created such an original sound, it sounded like a low keen. He rose on his little legs and over to the front door and stood on a chair so he was tall enough to reach the handle.

He walked through the garden, tears still falling but not making more than whimpers anymore and over to where the car sat, if a car could look innocent... "Bumblebee," he whispered again. The car flashed its headlights once as if it heard him and he knew there was no one in there but for some reason it did not seem weird to have an almost conversation with a car. As he approached the door to the passenger side opened on its own and Sam obediently crawled inside. The seat relaxed back so it was flat and Sam lay down, curling up and putting his thumb in his mouth, something he knew only little kids did, but no one was around to see him do it. Bumblebee would think no less of him; he was the one who called to him after all.

The car blew warm hair into its interior which brushed against Sam's face, comforting him and the seat adjusted to his small shape much like a hug and his distress was no more. The radio started to play soft music like his mother used to hum to him to get him off to sleep when he was but an infant and Bumblebee revved his engine gently. He let out a contented sigh and for the first time he fell asleep without his customary milk. Once he had drifted off to sleep the radio stopped playing and three words made its way through the radio in different voices quietly as Bumblebee searched the stations to find the words he wanted to say. "Sleep. Well. Little. One." He turned his lights off and remained still, waiting for the parents of the child to come home.


	3. sign 3 - schoolgrounds and meetings

The third sign came when Sam went to school, but to his parents who had become a lot more protective over him after the babysitter incident a week ago now, it was the first. He did not have many friends as he was a shy boy who hung back and simply quietly did his work, getting grades above the average. This was enough to make him a target, and while he was ignored more than outright bullied, a week after the babysitter incident when he started going on about how his father's car had comforted him he started to get strange looks. Because of this, for the joy of it, sadistic as children can be, a group decided to bully him, believing they would not get into trouble if they did it out the sight of adults.

His parents of course, finding him in the car – Bumblebee – had been the first to hear his words but had been prepared to believe it was all a dream brought on by seeing the babysitter in such a comatose state. Indeed, Judy herself had also believed she was dead when she first entered the lounge, and then the horror and anger set in, quickly followed by fear when she could not find her baby anywhere in the house. Bumblebee had been the ones to alert them to her son's whereabouts by flashing his headlights, drawing their attention outside. They believed it was their son moving in his sleep which made the headlights go off and praised their good fortune that Sam liked the car so much he sought comfort there instead of just wandering off in the night.

They targeted him straight after school, knowing he walked home as there were no major roads to cross and home was less than a ten minute walk away. Four against one and the smallest of the lot of them, Sam knew he was in danger so he called out for somebody to come before he was silenced. He never knew why he was punched by those boys so mercilessly and neither did he understand the names he was called but he knew he was not going to get away without assistance. Just when he was giving up and the bruises were starting to really sting the sound of a blaring horn and madly flashing headlights sounded directly before them and car going at a ridiculous speed rushed towards them, scaring the bullies away.

"Bumblebee, dad," Sam muttered, immensely grateful that his father had for once decided to pick him up from school. Maybe would continue to do so from now on, just as he had grown more protective over him because of the babysitter incident which still made him shiver when the image came to his young mind. Just like when he had been upset before and sought comfort the doors of the car flew open wide and without wasting time Sam hurried in and the doors closed unassisted behind him and he hastened to put his seatbelt on as the car went on. The bullies were crying and screaming but by the time came to investigate the commotion all that was seen was a yellow dot turning the corner amongst other traffic.

Once safely away, the car slowed down to a suitable speed and Sam leaned over through the back of the car to thank his dad for coming for him only to find his dad was not driving, in fact, no one was driving and Sam gulped uncertain as to what was going on. Yet, while it had for some reason not seemed weird a week ago because he was hurt and tired and confused it certain seemed weird now that a car could open doors and play the radio and drive itself. He watched the steering wheel go round by itself as the car turned corners and swerved in and out of traffic, taking him for a ride, presumably before going home. "Bumblebee," he said experimentally, confused and a little frightened, "are you driving yourself?"

"Don't. Be. Afraid. Sam," came the voices from the radio. While he was confused Sam would not say that he was scared, because Bumblebee was his friend and he could never be scared of him. The car continued to cruise along gently and Sam relaxed back against the seat.

"We should stop soon before people realise no one is driving," Sam pointed out logically. As soon as he said it a teen with blond hair appeared in the driver seat making Sam chuckle. He reached out to touch him but his had went straight through the figure, huh, a hologram. He realised that they could have reached home ages ago. "Where are we going Bumblebee?"

"Home. Eventually," came the reply.

"Well, where are we going first?"

"I've. Been. Called. To. A. meeting."

"A meeting? You mean there are more like you? Cars that can talk and move by themselves? I'm going to see more like you?" Sam bubbled in his childlike enthusiasm, all of his questions essentially the same one, Bumblebee answered them all separately anyway.

"Yes, yes, yes and yes, congratulations lucky participant," came a heavily accented Australian voice over the radio from what seemed like a game show.

"How did you know I was in trouble?"

"The Arizonian bat has most incredible hearing," came the voice of David Attenbrough over the radio and Sam smiled, he remembered watching that with his mother a little while ago, a big fan she had all of his DVDs and he had to watch them with her.

"That's right," Sam mused, "I called out didn't I? So we're not going home first," Sam mused, "you want them to meet me?" Sam felt pride well up within him; Bumblebee wanted his friends to meet him, did that mean he was Bumblebee's friend too? That is what friends did after all, they introduced each other.

"We're. Here." The car door opened and Sam took the hint to get out. Almost immediately the car transformed into a huge robot, he was only as big as the robot's hand. He knew it was Bumblebee and that he would not hurt him, that he had just saved him but he was still scared of such a huge robot and he did what all kids do when they are scared, he screamed and ran.


	4. Small beings

**Small beings**

He did not know where he was going, and a small part of his mind was telling him that he was being foolish; he was running from his only friend in the world. He was running from the only one besides his parents who made him feel safe, from the one who had scared off the bullies who had hurt him. But the only thing his small mind could focus on was how frightening such a huge robot looked and he continued to go on. He did not make it very far as a red and blue truck came into view transformed right before him and into another huge robot even bigger than Bumblebee and he screamed again, changed direction and ran again. It registered in his mind that these were Bumblebee's friends and he wondered: just what exactly had he been expecting?

Another robot appeared in his vision from this direction and his scream was no more than a whimper so the robot was not announced to his presence like the other one. It walked over to him and Sam dived out the way to avoid its feet but he had no way of knowing where they were going to land. Just as he resigned himself to his fate and scolded himself from running from Bumblebee, the one who was going to keep him safe, a large red hand closed around his small body just as a yellow blur pushed the robot that almost flattened him over and they tumbled off. "Jazz, we are living amongst small beings; you must watch where you are putting your feet." The red and blue robot who was holding him admonished.

Sam screamed and struggled against the hand holding him; once it was clear he was not going anywhere he stuck for hyperventilating and looking around him. It was not as if his six year old body could compete with hard metal. Jazz and Bumblebee got to their feet after their tumble and got a good look at him, "that, is a very small human," was the only comment he made. He brushed himself off and Bumblebee did the same before giving Sam a look that was very clearly one of annoyance which made him recoil into the truck's hand with a slightly guilty look, he was no longer frightened now he'd been given time to get over the shock, as that had been what his reaction was, shock, not true fear, really.

Bumblebee held his hand out for Sam clearly expecting the truck to hand him over, and Sam was going to be truthful, he expected it to, after all, Bumblebee was the one who brought him. However, for reasons unknown, although the unspoken request was pretty clear, the truck ignored him and kept a hold of him. This made Bumblebee look affronted but he made no comment and continued to follow his leader back to the middle of the meeting place where the last robot had now arrived. Sam was placed on the red and blue truck's shoulder and he held onto a plate of metal to keep himself steady and he would not fall.

From this vantage point he was towering above all the other robots, even Bumblebee and he smiled down at him getting only a look of annoyance in return. Whether it was because Sam had run off and nearly gotten flattened or the fact that the truck had not handed Sam back over to him was unclear to the boy. He made himself comfortable as the one holding him started to speak, addressing the robots before him. "Is everyone here, Ratchet, Jazz, Ironside, Bumblebee."

Sam chose this point to cut in, "wait, so your name is really Bumblebee?" He said surprised, he had only called him that because he was yellow.

This made the red and blue truck turn his attention to him and his gaze went between the yellow robot and the small boy perched on his shoulder. Bumblebee spoke through his radio to ease the tension, "I. Became. A. Car. For. This. Family. Sam. Named. Me. Coincidence."

The red and blue truck just looked thoughtful before saying, "I doubt it." Sam did not understand what was going on but he did not really make reply on it either or demand to know what he meant by that because he really couldn't care. He turned to the boy again, "my name is Optimus Prime." He pointed to each of his team in turn telling him their names and jobs before telling him where he came from and that they were on Earth seeking refuge because their home planet had been destroyed. Sam nodded, taking it all in with surprising acceptance that can only really by gained by someone who was young. "We would very much appreciate that you keep our existence here a secret," he said with a sternness that had Sam nodding rapidly.

"So, what are you planning to do?" Sam asked, feeling as if he should know what was going on to become a friend for these robots.

"There is a power source here somewhere called the All Spark which we need to find and either protect or destroy. There are others here and they are not all peaceful, Megatron will turn all appliances here into robots if he gets a hold of it and I cannot say much for man's future if he manages to carry out that plan."

"So we need to find this guy and stop him right?"

"Nothing can be done until he starts to act, for only then can we find him."

Sam nodded, too tired now to bother to make reply, young children always did have the tendency to get tired very suddenly and quickly. As he dropped off he fell from the shoulder of Optimus Prime and was caught by his familiar yellow car and if he had been awake to see it he would have seen the vehicle shoot his leader a look that roughly equated to sticking one's tongue out. The shock Sam had when he saw Bumblebee turn into a giant robot, that as nothing to how Ron felt when he came home from work to find Sam sleeping in the car once more. He had been certain he had taken it to work that morning and left it in the car park where it had stayed obediently and he still had the kjeys in his trouser pockets.

He decided not to tell his wife about the strange occurrence, she would only worry, but it had to be said that he was doing that too already. He should have known no good would come of his child having such a strong bond with a car, but he was only six, how was he to know such strange things would happen. Coming to think of it he had left the car locked when he left Sam with the babysitter and yet he managed to get in without forcing assn. lock and worked out how to make the seat recline (something he was still figuring out himself). He picked up his little boy, noticing bruises on his face with made his face darken with righteous anger. "It seems you helped him in his time of need again Bee," he mumbled as he walked into the house, his son on his hip, still fast asleep.

Judy was in a panic when he entered the house, "Ron, I can't find Sam anywhere!" She called from another room, going so far ad to look underneath small cushions as if he had somehow shrunk to the size of a thimble. "He is usually here when I get home from work and I can't see him anywhere and there is no note." Ron made no reply as he dropped his bag without dropping Sam. He wondered how Judy knew he was home, must have heard the door. "Ron?" she came in and saw him holding her little lost baby on his hip the way he had done since he first came into this world, small, bloody and unseeing and somehow still adorable.

She was silent for a moment before squealing and rushing over, scooping up her boy and cradling him in her arms cooing over and over about how much she missed him and how worried she was. Throughout this all he somehow did not wake up. She quietened when he told her he found him asleep in the car again, in the driveway even though he had taken it to work that morning, completely forgetting his promise to himself that he would not. "Something is strange going on Ron," she said as if he did not know that, "we have to do something before something happens to our baby." She was to not know it was too late.


	5. Of infatuations

**Of Infatuations**

Their salvation came in the form of a new neighbour and they had a boy about the same age as Sam, a new friend, a friend ford stop was exactly what Sam needed. They wasted no time in sending the child over to invite them over for dinner so they could start the plan as soon as possible, hopefully before they went back to school on Monday and the new boy was indoctrinated by the ones who gave him the bruises, which had healed by now and as far as they knew there had been no reoccurrences. The last thing they needed was for a bully to live next door after what he had gone through today. The boy did not cotton onto the plan which was a relief as he would have probably resisted just because he was being thrown together with him.

He waited until they had finished moving in and then gave Sam his job. He happily bounded over to the next door and rapped on the door. He used his sweetest voice to ask them if they wanted to come over for a welcoming meal before he realised he was talking to a child like him. The events of the school came back to him and Sam immediately shrunk back although this boy was older than him by a few years. Still, he looked friendly and not at all like he was going to hurt him, in fact, the smile was welcoming. "Hi," he said, sticking his hand out, "I'm Miles; I'm nine, I suppose I'll be starting your school on Monday." Sam did nothing but nod shyly, but the smile was by no means frightening, he supposed he could give him a chance.

The two were engaged in chatter before the meal even properly started and Ron and Judy sighed in relief just as Miles' parents did the same. Despite the age difference Miles took a big brotherly affection for Sam and as soon as the meal was over they were both out of their seats and hand in hand, heading towards the front garden. Friends introduce each other to friends, which meant by all rights he should show him to Bumblebee. He did not have to tell him about the robot part though, he could keep that to himself, besides, he doubted Bumblebee would demonstrate just for him and then Miles would think him crazy and hate him too. He felt like he was really making a friendship with this boy and he wanted it to work.

"Miles, this is my dad's car, his name is Bumblebee, because it's all yellow, I ride in it all the time, it's really comfortable, you should come sometime." At exactly this point Bumblebee must have been upset by something and he squirted water right at Miles who only ducked just in time. Mortified Sam blushed, "uh, he has a few technical difficulties," he had heard the term from his father and now used it himself as it could explain the strange behaviour of the car which wasn't a car. He tried to hiss to Bumblebee to behave but he could hardly do so when Miles was in earshot, so he would have to stick with doing so when Miles had gone.

"It's ok," Miles said with a grin, patting Bumblebee on the hood and dodging another squirt of windscreen washer directed at him. "I like cars with character." At this Sam stared at him before launching himself at the boy, this was the first step, maybe he would be able to tell him the secret about Bumblebee eventually after all, but it was be eventually. He liked Miles and his easy smile already and trusted him for some reason and he could tell they were going to be great mates forever. But such a secret was still not something you reveal to your friend the first day you meet them, it just isn't, so he kept his mouth shut and led Miles up to his bedroom, nothing could attack or prank them up there.

From that moment the two boys became inseparable and one could not be seen without the other. The bullying at school stopped for as soon as Miles got wind of it he threatened the bullies so colourfully they did not talk for three days. Miles helped him with his studies, not that he often needed it. Ron and Judy could not be happier and they were brought closer to their neighbours, Frank and Alice, the parents of Miles. Often one child would be seen round the house of the other for a meal and sleeping and Sam became a child of Frank and Alice just as much as Miles became another son for Ron and Judy, Sam and Miles may as well have been twins. Finally his infatuation for the car was dwindling with age and as he got a real friend as they'd hoped and hypothesised it would, they could not be happier.

Ron and Judy may have been happy that the infatuation stopped, but the infatuation did not only go one way, Bumblebee had never been less happy about an instance in his life before, well, since perhaps the destruction of Cybertron. In fact, not even then, as long as he had somewhere to live he was happy and now that he was on Earth, he met Sam Whitwicky. Now, all too soon he was being taken away from him. He knew he had to share him with his parents but first Optimus Prime tries to take priority and now this new boy, this Miles. From the moment he laid his optics on him he did not like him and tried to scare and annoy him off but he just laughed and dodged and patted him condescendingly and took Sam away.

Well that was not quite true, Sam was the one who took Miles away from him but it still equated to the same outcome, Sam was gone and was favouring company in someone else. The truth was he could feel energy within the child, energy he wanted, it felt like All Spark energy, and he felt a rush through him whenever he was nearby. In his prolonged contact with him he noticed him and wanted to be near him. That was what Optimus, the interfering truck must have felt and that was why he had picked him up and decided against handing him back over. He just doubted that he knew what it was he had been feeling and Bumblebee was content to work to keep things that way because the human was his sparkling.

He had been the one to comfort him when he needed it and to save him when he was in danger, even when it was from Jazz, he was more than capable of doing so, he did not need anyone else interfering. He heard giggling from the bedroom of Sam, he was happy having fun with someone else and he revved angrily, but not loud enough to alert anyone. On second thoughts perhaps he should tell Optimus Prime because he was likely to order that he be removed from his parent's home so he could be under the watchful eyes of the autobots to make sure he was not taken by the decepticons. Then he would be away from the bullies at school, the interfering parents, the annoying yappy dog who peed on him and barked whenever he revved at him and he'd be away from that boy.

It was a selfish thought but he really should tell Optimus Prime the news about the boy anyway and if he was ordered to take him then there was nothing he could do about that really. Still, Optimus as the leader would probably assign himself to his protection, leaving Bumblebee out of it and that would defeat the objective. He thought for a moment, no, no matter how suspicious the adults got, he would do all he needed to in order to keep Sam safe. Oh, that and the fact that Sam would be less than happy to be kidnapped by giant robots he already considered friends, as foolish as that was. But Bumblebee could not deny that this was more of an afterthought and it was his previous thought that immediately kept him from rolling away.


	6. Of fragile fleshlings

**Of fragile fleshlings**

It was a sunny day, hot, and Ron had decided to take the opportunity to wash his new car and Sam, realising he had been neglecting his friend in favour of Miles decided to help. They made quick work of it, thoroughly enjoying their selves and they got just as wet and covered in soap suds as the car they were washing. When it got time to wash the roof Sam asked to be picked up by his father and while strong hands supported his waist Sam lathered the top and felt as the car seemed to purr beneath him but it was quiet and almost undetectable to everyone else. Sam did not notice it either over the laughter and conversation of everyone around him as they worked.

They had asked Miles as if he wanted to join in and while he wanted to be with Sam he did not want to end up getting injured because of his bad luck round the vehicle so claimed to have homework to attend to. Bumblebee could not be happier about the fact and in his joy it was easy to forget all of the annoyances. The car was done by the afternoon and as soon as he was waxed and dried Sam grabbed a ball and Miles' sleeve and just like that they were gone. Bumblebee sighed, he was young boy, he could not expect him to be with him all the time, he needed friends his own race and age, Bumblebee was neither and neither could he do with him the things boys that age wanted to do. He couldn't expect it but he could hope pretty damn hard.

Hope he did but it did not change anything, he was still gone and he was alone for three hours until he realised that it was starting to get dark and the children should be back by now and he had not seen them go to Miles' house either which was in sight. He looked to the lounge, Ron and Judy were… busy. Honestly, he was the car, not the babysitter, must everything by left to him? He would have thought that looking after their son would come before… well… that, but he was mistaken. Well it was obvious he would not be required by the humans for a little while at least so, fully recharged he revved up as gently as he could and set off in search.

He knew where the park was having being driven there before; he was not surprised although sourly disappointed to see it empty. He had been hoping that Sam and Miles had simply lost track of the time and not noticed how dark it was but this was not the case. They were not stupid enough to go wandering the streets without telling anyone or getting into a stranger's car without protest at least and Bumblebee would have heard him if that was the case, he was sure. Unless he was too far away for him to hear, maybe he had gotten chased; maybe he was being chased right now and it was his responsibility to look after him. Revving loudly in annoyance much like the way a dog would growl, the yellow Camaro set off in search.

He cruised the streets, no destination in mind as he kept his optics and hearing devices peeled for his human, his sparkling. Well that was not really right because he was not a sparkling as he was all soft and squishy and easily damaged, his little fleshling, yes, that was right. Then suddenly he heard it, the soft cry of fear that so identifiably and unmistakably Sam and he set off as fast as he could, making his hologram driver swear at the drivers who honked and cursed him as he over and undertook them to get towards the sound. Miles was nowhere to be seen and heard but he could not care less about him to be honest, not that Sam would be too happy to hear that. He would have to pretend to be anxious to find the neighbour once he got Sam to safety.


End file.
